A Place To Call Home
by Extreme Light 9
Summary: AU. When Stan finds Dipper and Mabel as orphans he let's in and raises them in the Mystery Shack, but they soon realize something strange about those twins. Why are they hiding and where did they get those bruises from?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**A/N: Hey everyone! This my first AU story so please no flames. **

**In this story the twins are part of the paranormal in their town and are rejected because of it. Only few people who don't know or believe in that stuff trust them.**

**I hope you enjoy it.**

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Somewhere in the woods, two kids were running breathlessly for shelter from the rain that was pouring heavily over them. It was one of those long summer storms that would last for hours. The first was a twelve years old boy with brown hair wearing a navy blue T-shirt that was slightly torn, brown shorts and black shoes. The other was a girl around the same age as his. She wore a bright red sweater, a purple skirt and black shoes.

The twins soon came to a halt under a tree to catch their breaths. The boy, Dipper leaned against the hard wood of the tree, panting. His entire body was soaked and water dripping from his clothes and hair. He sighed and got into a sitting position, eyeing his sister every now and then to make sure she's alright. The storm however continued its assault and the rain didn't seem like it's going to stop anytime soon.

Dipper sighed again. _This is going to be a long night._

"Dipper, look!" his sister suddenly cried and pointed at something in the woods. Dipper stood up and walked over to where she was. He then saw what looked like a small wooden shack about thirty feet away from them. It stood alone in the evergreen and by the looks of it, the place seemed pretty old. There was light coming from a window which means someone lived in there.

"Maybe someone in there could help us!" His sister, Mabel said hopefully.

"I dunno Mabel; we don't know who could be living in that place. They might not be friendly for all we know." replied Dipper.

Mabel frowned and looked down sadly. "We at least gotta try. Maybe their nice people and will give us something to eat." she jumped slightly when a lightning bolt streaked through the sky. Dipper hoped his sister was right as he clutched his grumbling stomach. They both haven't eaten for hours and the exhaustion was starting get to them too.

"Alright, let's go." with that they both made their way towards the old shack. They stopped in front of the door first to dry their hair and clothes to make a good first impression to the owners of the house. Dipper glanced to Mabel who was giving him an encouraging smile before taking a deep breath.

"Well, here goes nothing…" he walked over and knocked the door, anxiety, and nervousness building up inside him. He didn't know what to expect but he tried to compose himself as much as possible. After a moment with no answer, he knocked again but nobody replied.

"I guess no one's home, let's turn around and find another-" before he could finish the door swung open revealing an old man wearing a black suit, a fez, glasses and…..an eye patch?

"Welcome to a world of mystery! I'm Stanford Pines and…." his long grin quickly fell when noticed it wasn't a tourist group in front of him, but instead two kids giving him confused looks. "Who are you, kids? What are you doing in a weather like this?" he asked sternly, taping his foot on the floor as he waited for them to answer. "Well?"

"Ehh…well my sister and I got lost in this storm and we were wondering if you could let us stay here for the night. If that's okay with you, of course." the boy said nervously. Mabel nodded eagerly.

The old man stared between them thoughtfully for a while and shrugged. "Fine, but as long as you don't touch anything, okay?" he then motioned for them to come in. While the girl was beaming with joy the boy smiled in relief.

Suddenly, Dipper heard a branch snap and looked back to the woods warily. There was something moving in there, but he couldn't get a good look at it.

"Hey, kid! You comin'?" Stan asked. Dipper quickly dismissed the thought and hurried behind his sister. It was probably a deer or something.

Meanwhile, a dark figure was hiding in the trees, watching them enter the shack.

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**A/N: So, what do you think? Please drop a review and let me know. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – First day of work**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the positive reviews! Here's chapter one.**

**Enjoy the read!**

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Wendy Corduroy walked down the road leading to the shack with her hands in my pockets. It was early in the morning and few cars went pass her heading to town. She made her way to the gift shop and opened the door, a small bell ringing to announce her presence. To her surprise, she saw two kids working in the shop!

They were a boy and a girl and by their looks they were clearly siblings, twins maybe. The girl was stocking the shelves with Soos while the boy was sweeping the floor. He was looking around skeptically as if he was making a mental map of the place which she found unusual for a kid his age. Why would do that? It's not like something going to pop out of nowhere and attack him, right?

The teen then gasped. _What if Stan replaced me with those kids! I know I don't do most of my work, but I still need this job. I have to find Stan and ask him about this._

"Well you here early…"

Freezing in her tracks, Wendy looked back and saw her boss leaning against the counter with Pit cola in hand. She smiled and shrugged. "My dad wanted us to go do more of that 'lumberjack stuff' so I had to come up with an excuse for not coming along." she replied. Cutting trees all the time is _super_ boring to her. "By the way, who are those kids over there?" she asked and pointed to the two mysterious preteens.

"Oh Mabel and Dipper? They came to my house yesterday looking for shelter from the storm and being the great man I am, I let them in for the night." he said smugly.

"Cool." she mentally sighed in relief. So he didn't replace her, but something still didn't make since. "But the storm has passed so why are they still here? Shouldn't they go home now?"

Stan's expression changed into a serious one. "They said they don't have a home or even a family for that matter. They live alone in an abandoned storage house in the woods."

"What?" her smile quickly sank and she looked back to the kids sympathetically. They looked so young and yet, they don't have a home or someone to look after them.

Stan continued. "I thought for a while and I've decided to let them stay here until we find a permanent place for them." Wendy nodded in understanding and walked up to them to say hi.

"Hey I'm Wendy. I work here in the gift shop. What's your name?" she asked.

The girl gave her full-blown grin. "Nice to meet you! I'm Mabel and this dork here is my brother Dipper."

Dipper blushed. "_Mabel!_" he yelled, while Mabel snickered at him.

Wendy chuckled; she already began to like them. "Hey, wanna get some free snacks?" she grinned mischievously and gestured to the shelf where the snacks were. Soos frowned.

"I don't think Mr. Pines would like this."

Wendy looked back to make sure her boss wasn't around and shrugged. "Well I'm sure Stan won't miss a couple of snacks, right?" with that said, the trio made their way to the shelf.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Soos added before following them.

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Stan meanwhile was planning to get some supplies for the shop from town. There was a light drizzle outside, but he didn't want to risk getting his suit wet so he brought his umbrella with him and walked to his 'Stanley Mobile'.

Suddenly, time around him stopped, the whole forest was muted, and even rain drops froze in mid-air. He watched as all color and sound were drained from his surroundings and he knew exactly what was happening. Bill Cipher was around.

Just then, said creature appeared in front of him. Bill was a yellow triangle being with a single eye, a bow tie, and a top hat. His body was glowing faintly and had two black hands and legs.

"Hello Stanford, It's been a while," said Bill in an annoyingly high pitch voice.

"Bill!" Stan shouted. "What do you want with me?"

If Bill had a mouth he'd be seen smiling right now. "You haven't changed one bit, Stanford. Always straight to the point, but don't worry. I'm not here for you." he explained. Stan gave him a confused look. "I'm here for those two kids you have."

Stan's eyes widen with fear and growled. "Leave them alone, Bill! They're just kids. They didn't do anything to you!"

Bill rolled his single eye. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt them. I just find them interesting. Even you probably noticed there is something unusual about them, right?" he said.

Stan opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it. Yes, he did feel _something _when he first met them last night, but it was soon gone as it came, but that doesn't mean anything! It was probably just his imagination or Bill trying to trick him. "So what? You're not getting anywhere near them, you little pest!"

Bill's eyes flashed with rage and the atmosphere became darker. "Watch your tone, Stanford. Don't make me change my mind about hurting you and those kids." he stated, his voice deeper and louder than before.

Stan quickly lowered his head angrily. Making him mad isn't the best idea right now. Bill then changed back to his normal form.

"Anyway, like I said before the reason I'm here is because I need them for something later."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"Well I can't tell you that, but you'll find out soon." the dream demon's body began to glow brightly as he began to disappear. "Until next time, bye!"

Once he was gone everything went back to normal and Stan opened his eyes as if he was asleep, like it was all dream, but he knew it wasn't. What could Bill possibly want with those kids? Whatever it was it's anything but good. That's why he needs to protect them from him.

Turning around determined, the old man walked back to the gift shop. What he saw in there made his jaw drop. Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Wendy were staring nervously at him with mouths filled with potato chips and loads of snacks in their hands.

"It was Soos' idea!" Wendy shouted, pointing at the handyman.

"W-Wait what!?" Soos stammered.

Stan rolled his eyes, knowing exactly who's idea was it. _I'm gonna have a talk with them later_, but now he had more important things to do. He turned to the twins and grinned.

"Great news, kids! From now on you're gonna live here."

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**A/N: That's it for this chapter. I hope I did their personalities well. If you think Bill is a problem then wait and see who else is after them.**

**Now for the messages!**

**Rbvictor, GravityFallsMD, DJ everything, Tasmanian Devil, StkAmbln thank you for reviewing.**

**Review please!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Secrets**

**A/N: I'm glad many people are enjoying the story so far and sorry for not updating sooner I was busy with school. I also want to thank everyone who reviewed for the previous chapter.**

**StkAmbln, Tazmanian Devil, Mia, Beware the shoe, Monty Dragon, Bigmike3321, rbvictor, GravityFallsMD and Sunleaf-Returns.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls.**

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"_Great news, kids! From now on you're gonna live here!"_

The rest of morning went by smoothly for the twins. Stan gave them a few chores to do and later put Dipper on cashier duty. He was now selling a Mystery Shack T-shirt to a young woman. "Here you go miss."

The women smiled. "Thank you, by the way have I seen you before? You look familiar somehow." she asked the boy.

Dipper tensed. "W-What no! This is the first time we meet actually" he stated nervously.

"Oh okay, thanks again." she took her bag and soon left.

Dipper sighed in relief. _That was a close one. I need to find a way so that people don't recognize me or Mabel_. He then opened a box of Stan bobble heads and placed them on the counter, eyeing the corners of the wooden shack. Something about this place made him feel uneasy. No matter how much he tried he couldn't shake the feeling of something…..watching him. It was rather unnerving.

"Dipper?"

The boy snapped from his thoughts and turned to see Wendy looking at him with concern. "Oh sorry, I didn't see you coming." he said sheepishly.

The girl's expression didn't change. "Are you okay? You've kindda zoned out for a minute."

"I'm fine, just tired that's all." he answered though he was lying through his teeth. There's something not right about this place and he intended to find out.

Wendy grinned. "Anyway, Stan wants me to show you two around the shack. Whaddya say?"

"Sure!" he replied. The redheaded teen then gave the twins a tour around the tourist trap showing them everything inside including all the attractions and oddities. She also showed them her secret hiding spot where she avoids work every day.

"Wow, do you come here often?" Dipper asked, amazed by the view from above. He could see the whole town from here!

Wendy nodded. "Yeah, everyday whenever Stan is bossing me around. You can come here too as long you don't tell him about this, okay?"

Dipper and Mabel smiled and closed their mouths with an imaginary zipper.

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"You guys have a golf cart!?" Mabel squealed in excitement as she and Dipper followed their new friend outside.

"Yeah, dude. Just wait until you see it." the teen replied. She remembered one time she was driving it and crashed into a tree. Stan was _not_ happy with that. Just then they stopped at the sound of shuffling and heard someone's voice.

"Do you guys hear that?" asked Dipper. They followed the sound behind the shack and saw a young chubby boy in a light blue suit and had white hair leaning against the wooden wall in a sitting position. He looked slightly younger than the twins and was flipping through the pages of an old red book thoughtfully.

"Gnomes, too small. Zombie attack, too risky. How about…"

"Excuse me,"

Startled, the chubby boy shrieked and held the book defensively against them, but then he put it down when he saw who it was. "Hey I know you! You're that lumberjack girl who works for Stanford and who are _you_?" he yelled and pointed to Dipper. Then he noticed Mabel and grinned.

"Well hello lil lady," The boy came closer to the girl, smiling dreamingly at her. "My name is Lil' Gideon, child psychic. You've probably seen me on TV, right?" he said and winked at her. Mabel glanced awkwardly to her brother and friend who shrugged. They were as confused as much as she was about the strange kid. "So, what's your name? I have never seen you around before." he asked.

"Uhhh….I'm Mabel. My brother Dipper and I just moved to the Mystery Shack yesterday." she answered.

Gideon looked shocked after hearing this and scowled. "Stanford Pines." he muttered bitterly under his breath, but quickly replaced it with a smile. "Well it has been a pleasure meeting you Mabel. I better go now. Here's my card if you ever wanted us to talk later." he said and gave her his card. With that, he walked away with his book in hand.

Mabel turned to her brother and friend giving them a confused look. "Uhh…who was that guy?"

Wendy sighed. "That's Gideon Gleeful. He's a big celebrity and the whole town adores him, even my dad. He and Stan are business rivals and my boss hates his guts. I think he's kindda creepy if you ask me." she explained. Mabel nodded in agreement.

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Later that day, Stan took the twins to town to get them some new clothes since their olds ones were torn and worn out. Dipper gazed through the window the entire trip as they passed some of the local shops in the sleepy town. Soon enough, they parked the car in front of a big store and went inside.

Lucky for them, there weren't many people around at the moment and the cashier was reading a magazine with a lazy expression on his face. Stan rolled his eyes. _Great, and here I thought Wendy was one of a kind._ He thought sarcastically.

"Alright, kids! Take whatever you need, but watch for the price." Stan warned.

The twins nodded to him and looked around in awe. They couldn't remember the last time someone took them shopping for new clothes. They didn't have enough money so they always wore their old ones. Dipper saw some jackets with hoods attached to them and smiled. _Maybe this could help._

Stan meanwhile sat on a small chair and watched them from a close distance. The con man knew he wasn't the most observant person around but he still could tell there's something off about those kids. They seem so secretive and he was sure there was something they're not telling him. Dipper, unlike his sister seemed worried about something since he arrived, but what is it? Does it have something to do with what Bill said?

Stan then saw Dipper whispering something in Mabel's ear and she nodded to him. To his surprise they both grabbed jackets with hoods attached to them. Dipper's jacket was navy blue and Mabel's jacket was bright orange. Stan raised an eyebrow in confusion before shrugging and helping the preteens get the rest of the things they needed including shirts, skirts and a box of netting supplies that Mabel wanted.

Once they were done they headed out to the cashier to pay for everything, oblivious that a man in a black suit was watching them the whole time.

"Target confirmed."

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Gideon made his way angrily to his house. He was planning to get his revenge on Stanford today and he didn't account to find that girl Mabel there. The very thought of that sweet girl being around Stan infuriated him. He just needs to find a way to tear them apart.

"And I have just the perfect plan." an evil smile spread across his face.

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**A/N: I hope you all liked this one and please review!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – In the attic**

Back in the gift shop, Wendy was sitting by the counter texting some of her friends on her phone. She and Soos had to watch over the place until Stan and the kids are back. The sun has just set and the gift shop was closed for the day. Suddenly the door swung open and a happy preteen came running to her.

"Wendy! Soos! Look at me! Look!" Mabel exclaimed, now wearing a white shirt, a blue skirt, and a bright orange headband matching her new jacket.

"Dude, that's awesome." Wendy replied, giving her a thumb-up. Soos nodded in agreement.

Stan came in with loads of shop merchandise and Dipper by his side. "I can't believe it! I thought I told you kids to watch for the price!" he muttered gruffly.

"We did, but Mabel's netting supplies were too expensive." Dipper defended, now wearing an orange T-shirt under his blue jacket and black shorts.

"Don't worry Stan. It will all worth it once you see what these two hands can do!" Mabel explained cheerfully. Stan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, now that we got you kids something good to wear, we need to find a place for you to sleep in." he stated.

"I-It's okay. Mabel and I can sleep on the couch again." the boy said sheepishly.

Stan thought for a moment. Sure they could do that, but they can't go on like this forever! Bill is after those two kids and they need a safe place to sleep in, but where? There aren't many rooms in the shack besides his own. He also didn't want anyone to know about the 'other' room in the shack.

"Ya know, the attic has some pretty good space Mr. Pines. Maybe we could use that." Soos suggested. Stan rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded.

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The con man then led the twins and his two employees up the stairs, the worn floorboards creaking loudly with every step they made. Soon enough, they reached the attic and went inside. There were a few boxes, some old furniture, a bookshelf, and a triangle-shaped window at the end of the attic wall. He traced his finger over a table to find it was covered with a layer of dust. _Geez, this place a mess._

"Alright, everyone! Help me get these things somewhere else." Stan exclaimed.

"Oh joy..." Wendy said sarcastically. Everyone ignored her comment and began carrying random stuff away. Sighing, she walked over to the window where an old rusty lantern stood and was about to pick it up when she saw something outside, a person, but She couldn't make out his features because of the dark. Before she could do anything the figure was gone.

"Is something wrong?"

The teen's head snapped and looked over to Mabel. "N-No. I just thought that I saw something outside." she answered, giggling nervously. The girl stared at her for a moment then shrugged and walked away, humming cheerfully. Wendy took one last glance through the window before taking the lantern and left.

Dipper meanwhile was carrying a heavy-looking box across the room. The box was filled with various books including biology, physics, and mythology books. _Why would Stan have all these books? He doesn't seem like the person who would be interested in these things._ He thought as he glanced at the old con-artist.

Suddenly, Dipper tripped over something he didn't see and lost balance. The box fell out of his hands and he yelped in pain when he hit the floor face first.

"Dipper!" Mabel and others left everything they were doing and hurried to check on him. "Are you hurt?"

The boy cringed as he stood up, felling intense pain in his knee with some blood dripping out of it.

Stan turned to his handyman. "Soos, go get the first aid-kit. Now!" he shouted. Soos ran as fast as he could down stairs. Moments later, the handyman returned with the first aid-kit and handed it to Wendy. Quickly, the teen got the boy to sit on a chair and began treating his wound. It was then that she noticed some old cuts and bruises on both his legs. There were also some on his hands too.

Soos looked down to the boy worried. "How you feeling, dude?"

Dipper looked up to him and smiled. "I'm fine, don't worry guys. I've been through worse." he said which confused them even more.

"Why would you get injuries like this?" asked Wendy.

"I used to explore the woods with Mabel and I trip a lot" he explained, covering his nervousness with a grin. His brown eyes looked to his twin for support. "Right, Mabel?"

"Y-Yeah, Dipper is a big clumsy-head." Mabel added.

"Makes sense," Stan muttered. Wendy however felt something off about their stories. It _did_ make some sense, but she was sure the twins were hiding something from them, but what is it?

After treating Dipper's leg, they cleared the rest of the place and placed two equally-sized beds inside. Soos then drove Wendy home after saying goodbye to the twins and their boss. Stan went to the kitchen to make dinner for them so Dipper and Mabel were now left alone to explore their new room.

"Whoa, I can't believe we have our own bedroom!" Mabel exclaimed. Their former house was always cold with a few holes in the roof that allowed the rain to pour in.

"Yeah, I know!" Dipper nodded. Out of excitement, Mabel took off her shoes and began bouncing on her new bed giggling happily.

Dipper smiled and shook his head at this. Then he noticed the forgotten box he dropped. Walking over, he began collecting the scattered books on the floor when something suddenly caught his attention. There lay a worn red book with a golden six-fingered hand insignia on the cover and a bold 3 on its palm. Out of all them, it stood out the most.

Placing the other books aside, Dipper took the book and held it in his hands, something about it felt...powerful.

Curious, he began flipping through its pages and was amazed by the things he seen.

Meanwhile, Bill was observing Dipper with the weird book from outside the window with a thoughtful look in his eye. His yellow body suddenly began flashing neon blue along with his eye. His aura seemed to be getting stronger.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to interfere..."

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**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading this chapter. It took me some to come out, but I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**Now for the messages!**

**StkAmbln, Hastunemikue31, atsukko, Forest Spirit of Thunder clan, Sophia Crutch feild, Willebadger618, rbvictor, and Rock Sunner thanks for reviewing/ following my story.**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – The Mystery Fair**

**A/N: Here's chapter 4! This will contain Wendy/Dipper friendship moments and Dipper meeting Bill for the first time.**

**Enjoy the read!**

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Everything in Dipper's dream was white. Dipper opened his eyes only to see he was surrounded by four white walls. He was in a room with no doors or exits. Standing up he began looking around.

"Hello! Can anybody hear me?" he shouted as he took his first steps in the strange chamber. He wasn't even sure how he got there in the first place.

"Hello Pine Tree!"

Dipper turned around to where the voice was coming from and saw a triangular creature with a single eye gazing directly at him. _That thing can talk!? _The boy gulped and stepped back from it. "W-Who are you and where am I?" he asked warily.

The creature had an amused look on his face. "AHAHAHA! Welcome to the dreamscape, kid! My name is Bill Cipher, dream demon. I've wanted to meet you for a while now."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Dream demon?"

Bill nodded. "Yup and I know lots of things about you. I've been observing you for some time and I gotta say you're an unlikely one, Pine Tree." he said, floating closer to his level.

_Pine Tree? Why would he call me that?_

Dipper looked up to the being in confusion. "Okay, so what do you exactly want with me?" before the demon could answer his question Dipper felt something pulling him away from the chamber and waking him from his dream.

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With a start Dipper woke up in his bed. His eyes were half closed and his hair ruffled from his pillow. He gazed around for a bit and became relieved. He was back in their room.

His thoughts then drifted back to the dream he had earlier. It felt so…real to him like it actually happened, but it was probably just a dream, right? It couldn't be real.

Sighing, he got off his bed and check under his bed. He smiled when saw the strange book was still there. He had planned on telling his sister about it later. Dipper changed his clothes, put on his jacket and hurried down stairs to the kitchen, but to his surprise nobody was there. The shack itself was unusually quiet at the moment.

His paranoia suddenly began kicking in. "Where did everyone go?" he wonder, grabbing a piece of toast and making his way towards the door. Once outside Dipper gasped. An entire fair was taking place outside their house!

There were ticket booths, snack stands, games and a Ferris wheel. Along with that almost everyone in town showed up at the fair so he placed his hood on just in case and began looking for his sister and friends. The first person he found was Soos who was fixing one of the games.

"Oh hey Dipper, can you pass me that wrench over there?" he pointed to the toolbox where the wrench was. Dipper picked it up and handed it to him. "Thanks!"

Still confused by everything Dipper asked. "So, what's going on? Why are _those_ here?" he gestured to the stands and the Ferris wheel. Soos blinked at him in confusion for a moment before remembering the boy was new around.

"Well, this is the Mystery Fair. Mr. Pines holds every year to attract more visitors during the summer break." he explained.

Dipper frowned. "What about Mabel? I haven't seen her today."

"You mean hambone? She went to help Stan with something. They'll be back later. By the way…" Soos then pulled a stack of tickets from his pocket and handed them to Dipper. "You should go and have fun until they're back too, dude."

Dipper grinned and nodded. "Okay, thanks Soos."

"No problem." he said and resumed his work with the game. As Dipper wandered around, he found Wendy with a black haired teen who was trying to win a stuffed panda/duck hybrid.

"Hey Wendy," Dipper greeted.

The teen smiled. "Hey Dipper." she then turned to her other friend. "Robbie, this is my friend from work Dipper." she said. The other teen gave him a brief glance and muttered.

"S'up dork," he then returned his attention to the game and paid another ticket. "Give another ball,"

Once he got hold of it, he grinned smugly and threw the ball, but it passed by the pyramid of bottles without even hitting. Robbie growled in frustration. "That's it! I'm out of here!" putting his hood on, he walked away from the two muttering about how stupid the stuffed animal was.

Wendy frowned. She really wanted to have one of those stuffed animals as her own and was hoping that Robbie would win her one. Dipper noticed this and had an idea.

"One ball please." he gave the man his ticket and got his ball.

"You got only one chance." the man said. Dipper looked over to Wendy who now was giving him an ensuring smile. This greatly boosted his confidence.

"And a 1 and a 2 and…" He then aimed at the pyramid, sticking his tongue out and tossed the ball knocking the bottles down! Dipper grinned while Wendy cheered for him.

"Here you go kid, your creature of indeterminate species." the man then handed Dipper the stuffed animal. Dipper turned to Wendy and smiled.

"This is for you," he stated and handed her the panda/duck.

Wendy found herself at a loss of words. She didn't expect he did it all just for her which she found heartwarming. She took to it from him and gave it a tight hug. "Thanks, Dipper. This is the best presents ever!" she then bent down and gave him a hug of his own.

Dipper's face flushed slightly but he accepted it anyway.

"So, wanna get some ice-cream?" his friend asked, grinning.

"Sure!" With that, they both left.

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**A/N: I know it was short, but I hope you all enjoyed the moment with Wendy and Dipper. Stay tuned for more! :D**

**Thank you StkAmbln, Forest Spirit of Thunder clan, Sophia Crutch feilld and guests for your reviews.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Mabel's sickness**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update I've been working on another story and it took me some time to write. Anyway, thanks for the positive reviews you're giving me. You guys are the best! Here's chapter five.**

**Enjoy!**

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Somewhere in town, Stan was driving his car to their next stop. Sitting next to him was Mabel hugging a teddy bear they bought for her earlier. Sighing, Stan rolled his eyes and focused on the road ahead. He never had kids of his own so he didn't really know what to do around them. Just then, he heard a loud raspy cough and he realized it came from Mabel.

"Kid? Are you okay? "He asked.

Mabel looked up to him and smiled. "I'm fine. Just a little tired." She said, hiding her discomfort. She actually _did_ feel sick ever since she woke up this morning, but she didn't know why. Just then, another cough escaped her and this time it was harder than the one before.

The con-man then knew something was wrong. He pulled over and placed a hand on her forehead, and gasped.

"Kid, you're burning up! We need to get you back home." He exclaimed, turning the car around and heading back. Mabel lay in her seat and looked down, feeling bad for troubling him.

Stan drove as fast as he could down the road until the shack soon came to view. He sighed in relief and parked the car behind the shack and away from the fair. Wasting no time, he carried the sick girl in his arms and hurried inside. He noted the house was quiet which mean none of his employees was around. _They're probably still at the fair. _He thought as he carried Mabel to the attic bedroom and placed her on her bed as gently as possible.

"Uh…need anything, kid?" he asked her.

"Some water please." She said weakly. Stan nodded and then made his way to the kitchen, filled a glass with water and brought it back to her. She gratefully took the glass and drank it.

He then dialed Soos' number and waited for someone to answer.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So, you've been working for Stan for the last ten years!?" Dipper asked as he passed the handyman another nail. They were hanging some Mystery Fair signs in the woods for the people to see.

Soos nodded. "Yep, it's really great! I get to fix a lot of things too, though he doesn't pay me THAT much, but I'm comfortable with that." He shrugged and began hammering the nail. Dipper laughed a bit at this. Soos' phone rang suddenly and he answered it.

"Hello? Oh hi Mr. Pines" Soos' then gasped in alarm. "R-Really…oh okay. We'll be there soon." he assured before he hung off.

"What's wrong, Soos?" asked Dipper.

"It's Mabel. She's fallen sick."

**XXXXXXXXX**

As they waited, Stan brought a bowl of water and piece of cloth for Mabel. He soaked the cloth with cold water and placed it on her forehead to ease the fever. Just then, the door slammed open and Dipper and Soos came in. Dipper quickly ran to Mabel's side to check on her, his face showing great concern.

"Mabel, are you okay? What happened?" He asked with worry.

"She got a fever." Stan answered, his arms folded over his chest. "One moment I was driving the car and she was talkative as always and then she started coughing a lot all of a sudden." he explained.

Mabel frowned, feeling guilty. She knew Dipper was probably worried when he woke up this morning and she wasn't around with him. "Sorry for leaving without telling you Dipper." she apologized.

Dipper smiled. "It's okay, so how do you feel right now?"

"Sick," The preteen managed to say. "Can I get another blanket?" she asked before coughing again. She felt drained and her body was sore.

Stan nodded. "Soos bring her a blanket, would you?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Pines." With that said, Soos left the room. Moments later, he returned with a thin blanket he got from the shack closet and laid it over the sick preteen. "There you go, dude."

"Thanks," Mabel replied with a weak smile.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Mabel woke up a few hours later around noon to feel someone sitting on her bed beside her. She looked over and saw her friend Wendy smiling down at her.

"Hey, Mabel. Dipper told me what happened. Feelin' better?" she asked. Mabel shook her head and yawned.

"Well, Stan asked me to bring you some chicken soup. You gotta eat something or that bug won't go away." Wendy helped her get into a sitting position and placed a tray with a bowl of soup in her lap, and gave her a spoon. The soup was surprisingly good and she thanked her friend for it.

Wendy grinned and took the tray and the empty bowl with her. "I'm going back to work, if you need anything just yell, okay?"

Mabel nodded and watched her co-worker leave the room. Sighing, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes to get back to sleep.

Meanwhile outside the shack, Gideon Gleeful was hiding behind the shrubs and grinned evilly. Time to start his plan.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: That's it for this chapter. I hope you all liked it! What will Gideon do? Stay tuned and you'll find out!**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Shades of grey**

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for this one coming little late I had writer's block, but I'm fine now. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Stan sighed as he sat behind the cash register, counting their profits from the last tour. The day went by smoothly for them. A bus full of tourists came by and he got a good deal of money from them. They had checked on Mabel occasionally and she seemed to be getting better. At the corner of the room Dipper was silently sweeping the floor and he would glance around every now and then is if he expecting something. Suddenly, they heard the bell on the door chime loudly. Dipper quickly put his hood on, covering most of his head so only his face could be seen as another group of people walked into the gift shop.

Stan never quite understood why those twins always put them on during work and whenever there are people around, especially strangers. He at first thought they were just shy, but now he began to doubt that theory, but if that's not the case then what? Every time he'd ask them about it they'll shrug and give him a random answer.

Signing, Stan snatched his eye patch and put it back on to greet the new group of customers.

**XXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, Wendy was in one of the local stores in town looking for a present for Mabel. Since the preteen was sick for last two days she wanted to bring her something to cheer her up. After thinking, she picked a stuffed animal and paid for it before walking out of the store where he friends were.

"Finally, what took you so long?" asked Lee.

"Yeah, we're gonna miss the movie." Nate added.

Wendy rolled her eyes and answered. "Relax guys. There's a girl I know who's really sick and I want to get her something to cheer her up."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just go already!" Robbie urged them as they made their way to the theater. Just before they got inside two men stepped in their way. One was a police officer while the other was a man in a black suit with blonde hair.

"Wendy Corduroy?" the police officer asked her.

"Uh...yeah? Wendy answered, nervously glancing to her friends who were giving her puzzled looks.

"We would like to ask you some questions if that's okay with you." He stated behind his dark glasses.

"S-Sure." she replied.

"Good, please follow us." With that, the two men walked away with her between them. She motioned for her group to go to the theater without her while she followed the two men. She couldn't help but feel nervous about this. What could those guys possibly want with her anyway?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Back in the shack, Dipper was in the middle of moping the kitchen floor. He let out a tired sigh and whipped a bead of his sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, everything around him fell silent and all colors drained from the kitchen.

"What the-" he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Just then, a flash of bright light came from the kitchen window.

Curious, he placed the mop aside and hurried outside and into the woods where the light was coming from. Hiding behind a tree, Dipper peeked around it and gasped when he saw Gideon Gleeful talking to the same creature he saw in his dreams the other night. _So, it wasn't just a dream? _he thought as he leaned closer to hear what they were saying.

"Alright, demon. I have a job for you." He heard Gideon say.

Bill chuckled in amusement. "Sorry kid, but you're not the one I want to talk to. My business isn't with you." He explained.

"What do you mean!? I'm the one who summoned so you better listen to me!" Bill didn't look fazed by the threat and waved a hand with a bored expression at him.

"What're you-"Gideon then froze in time like everything else around them. In a flash, Bill disappeared. Dipper tilted his in confusion. "What just happened?"

"I can see you so no point in hiding kid." Bill said from behind him. This startled the preteen causing him to jump, pressing his back against the tree.

"W-What do you want, Bill?" Dipper asked cautiously.

Bill held up his hands in mock surrender. "Yesh, calm down Pine Tree. After all I'm only here to help you."

"With what?"

"Your problem of course! I know a lot about you, kid. I can help you and your sister in exchange for that book you found earlier. Whaddya say?" Bill explained, holding a flaming hand to him.

Dipper thought for a moment. He did want protect his sister and keep them both safe, but something told him that Bill isn't trust worthy and why does he want to have his journal? "As much as I want to help my sister I'm not sure if I can trust you with this."

"Fine," Bill muttered, extinguishing the flames in his hand. Dipper shielded his eyes as the triangle's body starting flashing with bright light. "But if you ever change your mind, kid, remember I'm always there and ready to make a deal!" With that said, Bill disappeared in a flash of white light. Everything went back to normal once he was gone. As he made his way back home Dipper thought about his recent encounters with the dream demon. What could a creature like Bill want with _him_? He said he wanted the book he found in return for his help, but why? Sighing, Dipper entered the shack and did the rest of his chores for the day.

Meanwhile, Wendy was riding her bike back to the Mystery Shack with a troubled expression on her face. She left her bike and helmet outside and hurried inside. After looking around, she found her boss, Soos and the twins in the living room watching some TV show.

"Oh hey Wendy!" Mabel greeted cheerfully. Wendy couldn't help, but return the smile.

"What're doing here? I thought you went back home hours ago." Her boss stated.

"I did, but then something happened." This got their attention. "I was hanging out with my friends and we were going to the theater when two men came by and started asking me questions." she explained, her voice slightly calmer than before.

"What did they ask you about?" Soos said.

"They asked me about my job at the shack and mostly about the twins and how do I know them."

All eyes turned to said twins who tensed and shifted uncomfortably in their places.

"Kids, what's going on? Why would these guys ask Wendy about you two?" Stan asked suspiciously.

Dipper exchanged guilty glances with Mabel and sighed. They clearly couldn't find a way out of this one.

"Guys, there's something you need to know."

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: Finally, the twins will confess everything in the next chapter. I'm so excited! XD**

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Trust**

**A/N: Here it is! The chapter you all been waiting for. Thank you all for sticking with me this far and for all your kind reviews.**

**Enjoy! **

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Everyone found a seat in the gift shop and sat down to listen to the twins' story.

"Two years ago, Mabel and I used to live in a small town nearby with our parents. Everything was fine and we had nothing to worry about." Dipper paused before continuing. "One night, there was a fire. Our entire house was burning down. The firemen tried their best put out the flames, but it wasn't enough. Mabel and I _somehow_ managed to survive, but…our parents…they didn't make it."

"What happened after that?" Wendy asked.

Mabel this time spoke. "It was really hard for us when mom and dad were gone. The people for some reason kept avoiding and ignoring us. We had nowhere to go." She said, close to tears.

Dipper knew it wasn't easy for them to talk about what they've been through because it brought back painful memories to them, but Stan, Wendy and Soos done some much for them. They deserve to know the whole truth.

Dipper froze. This was the hardest part and he didn't know how to explain it to them. He suddenly felt Mabel hold his hand to support him and gave an assuring smile. Dipper then continued. "When no one wanted to help us I started stealing food and money to help my sister. I sometimes got hurt doing so while running away which is how I got all these injuries. Men in black suits then came after us so we couldn't stay in one place. We travelled across Oregon for months until we arrived at Gravity Falls and decided to stay here because we thought no one would finds us. We found that abandoned storage house and started living in it until that night when the storm came and we met you." He explained, gesturing at Stan.

Awkward silence followed once he was finished. For a whole minute no one said anything. Soos and Wendy looked confused, but other than that they seem understanding while Stan's expression remained unreadable.

Dipper bit his lips, knowing there's a chance that Stan might not accept them just like everyone else. They were rejected by everyone they have met ever since the incident and maybe the Mystery Shack owner wasn't any different.

Finally, Stan stood up and made his way towards the twins. Dipper tensed and closed his eyes, waiting for him to yell at them or tell them to leave.

To his surprise, nothing came.

Stan placed a hand on both their shoulders and looked directly at them. "Look kids, I don't care about the things you've done in your past." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his, not used to being comforting. "The truth is, I care about you both, and something like that won't change it."

Mabel eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Wait so you're not mad at us?" Dipper asked in disbelieve.

Stan shook his head. "Of course not! You two did what you had to do to survive, but why didn't you tell me that from the start. I could have made things easier for all of us."

Mabel pouted. "We wanted to tell you the truth, but we thought you guys might hate us."

Dipper nodded. "Yeah, most people didn't take it well. That's why we didn't trust anyone."

The con man grinned and ruffled with their hair. "Well you don't have to worry about that anymore because you kids are staying here and I won't let anyone get to you, I promise." He said and pulled them close.

"Yeah, dude. And don't worry your secret is safe with us." Wendy added while Soos gave them a thumbs-up.

Dipper smiled. "Thanks guys,"

Suddenly, the moment was interrupt when they heard knocking at the door.

"Who could that be?" Stan stood up and walked over to answer the door while the rest peeked around the corner to see who it is.

Stan, wearing his black suit, opened the door and froze when he saw two men in black suits standing in front of him. _They must be the guys the twins and Wendy mentioned earlier_ He thought warily. Dipper and Mabel gasped and hid behind Wendy and Soos.

"Are you Stanford Pines?" one of them asked.

"Y-Yes I am." He answered, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"Well, have you seen these two kids around?" he then showed him a picture of the twins. "We have reports saying that you came into contact with them. We've looking around for them for a long time and one of them is a thief who's been stealing from stores and houses. Do you know them?"

Stan cleared his throat and tried to pull the most convincing angry look he can muster. "Are you kidding me!? Those kids lied to me and told me they had no home so I gave them food and clothes and how do they repay me? By stealing my money and slipping away!" he shouted, hoping they'd buy it.

The two agents exchanged glances, not fully convinced. "Alright, but we would like to search your house to see if what you're saying is true."

"S-Sure, come in" He stuttered and gestured for them to get in.

Meanwhile, the four friends panicked.

"Oh man we gotta hide before they find us!" Dipper said picnicking.

"But where would we go?" asked Mabel.

Wendy thought for a moment and an idea came to her. "I know a place, but I'll need someone to distract them for a few seconds."

"You can count on me dude," Soos then walked over to Stan and the two agents while the twins followed their teenage friend. Before the three men could get a look inside the gift shop Soos got in their way.

"Hey sir, would you be interested in buying a Mystery Shack snow globe?" he asked, holding one in his hand.

"No thanks," the two tried to get pass him but he stopped them again only this time holding one of T-shirts they sell in the gift shop.

"Okay, how about a Mystery T-shirt. If you buy one you'll get another for free." He said.

"THEY WHAT!?" his boss wailed. "I mean yeah of course you do haha!" he laughed nervously, finally catching on.

The blonde one shook his head. "Sir, we're under a very important mission so please stand by." Stan and Soos did as they told and waited anxiously for the two to finish. After twenty minutes of searching the two agents finally left.

"Finally! I thought they would never leave!" Stan muttered in relief, whipping sweat beads from his forehead and then turned to the handyman.

"So, where did those kids and Wendy go anyway? Those agents searched the whole house!"

"I'm not sure Mr. Pines. I was only told to distract them until they escape." Soos explained.

Just then, the con-man jumped when a small door from the celling swung open and a ladder came down. "What the-"

Mabel and Dipper then came down the ladder and tackled him, laughing gleefully. Wendy soon came down too and high-fived Soos.

"Dude, that was awesome! I can't believe they didn't find us!" Wendy exclaimed.

Dipper turned to her and grinned. "Thanks Wendy, you saved us back there."

Wendy smirked. "No problem, Dip."

Stan's attention however was still on the secret hidden ladder that leads to the roof of his house. He stared at the twins, then to Wendy, then to the ladder and back again before scowling.

"For how long that has been there?" he asked, glaring at the red-headed teen.

Wendy rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Just now?" she tried, but he didn't buy it.

Stan continued scowling and looked down at the twins who were smiling innocently at him. "And you two knew all along!?"

"Maybe," Mabel grinned and poked him in the nose. "POOP!"

"Come on, Stan. You can't punish Wendy because of this. If it weren't for her we wouldn't be here right now." Dipper reasoned.

Stan sighed and pinched the brick of his nose. "Fine, but you're still in so much trouble, missy!" he growled.

"I know," the teen replied, rolling her eyes.

"Still…" he wrapped his arms around the twins and smiled. "It's good to know that you two kids will stick around for much longer."

The twins smiled back and nodded in agreement.

**XXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: In my opinion this was the best chapter in the entire story! There's so many feels I almost cried. But the story isn't over yet, I'm gonna write an epilogue so stay tuned! :D**

**Review please!**


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

By the time night has fallen, Soos and Wendy headed home after saying their goodbyes to the trio. They then spent the next few hours together before it was bed time for the kids.

Stan made his way to the kitchen for a can of Pitt cola and walked back to the living room. He then let himself fall on the sofa with a collective sigh, taking off his fez and placing it aside to rub the back of his head, reflecting on everything happened today.

With Wendy's help they managed to save the twins from getting captured by those agents, but Stan still gave her extra work to do for not telling him about her secret hiding spot on the roof before.

He wouldn't admit it but he was actually glad to have Mabel and Dipper around. For the last three decades he had lived alone in the shack with none to company him, but now things changed, but still…has it really been seven days since they've met? It felt much longer than that. The summer storm, meeting the twins, the fair, nursing Mabel, and helping the two preteens escape the agents. It felt more like weeks to him. Sighing, he took a sip from his soda and changed the TV channel.

Suddenly, he heard someone approaching him from behind. He looked over and saw said twins staring at him with hidden glee.

"Kids? I thought I told you to go to bed." He muttered gruffly.

Dipper finally spoke. "We were, but Mabel and I had been thinking and..."

"You've done so much for us Stan, but we didn't give you something in return." His sister finished and placed a wrapped up gift box in the old man's lap.

Raising an eyebrow, Stan opened the box and pulled out a light brown sweater with the same symbol from his fez on it. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and turned at them. "Look kids, this is nice and all, but-"

"COME ON! Put it on!" She insisted. He knew how stubborn the girl can be so he didn't argue any further.

Sighing in defeat, he put on the new sweater the girl made him. It was slightly bigger than it should be, but other than that it was just fine. He looked over to the two kids who were staring at him hopefully and frowned, not sure what to say.

"So, what do you think?" Dipper asked.

"Uh…it's great, I guess." He murmured and then smiled. "Thanks, kids."

Mabel couldn't contain hers excitement anymore. "No problem! I took me _all_ day, but in the end it turned out awesome!"

"Hey, I helped too!" Dipper shot her a brief glare.

"Yeah, but I did most of the work." She said proudly. Dipper huffed and crossed his arms, but didn't argue.

Stan couldn't help, but laugh and ruffle his hair as well as Mabel's before pulling them both close to him.

Meanwhile outside the shack, Bill watched the trio from the window with annoyance. He was hoping that the agents would find the twins and then Dipper would ask him for help, but Stanford, the fat guy and that red-haired girl ruined everything so it's no longer an option.

Sighing, the triangular took one last glance at them before floating away into the night sky, the wind blowing against his small body.

He'll need to think of a new way to get them to join him. Those kids were special and he needed them for his upcoming plan.

With that in mind, his body shimmered in the dark sky before vanishing out of sight.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Back in the shack, Dipper lay down in his bed and looked over to his sister.

"Good night, Mabel."

"Night," Mabel replied before closing her eyes, drifting to sleep.

Dipper smiled and did the same. No one noticed when his eyes flashed blue before returning to normal.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: And done! I can't believe it's completed! Thanks for reading this and I hope you liked the ending. There's a chance I might do a sequel for this, but I'm not sure yet. Drop a review and let me know what you think.**

**Also, I would like to thank everyone who review for 'A Place to Call Home' You guys have been so supporting and I'm glad that many of you liked my story.**

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